Maine public safety dog dies in state vehicle that 'unexpectedly' stopped running
May 29—The state's "first official comfort dog" died Wednesday while inside a vehicle that "unexpectedly" stopped running.
Baxter, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, was found dead inside a state vehicle at the Bangor Regional Communications Center around 2 p.m. The vehicle, which he was regularly transported in, stopped running and the air conditioning turned off, the Department of Public Safety said in a statement Thursday.
The agency is conducting an inspection to determine why and how the vehicle malfunctioned. A spokesperson did not respond Thursday to questions about how long the dog was left inside the vehicle and what type of vehicle he was in.
Baxter was brought on to the Maine Bureau of Emergency Communications in 2022 to "help improve the mood and well-being of first-line responders in Maine's three emergency communication centers" in Augusta, Bangor and Houlton, the Department of Public Safety said.
He was trained through the New Hampshire-based nonprofit Hero Pups, which pairs dogs with first responders and veterans. Since then, he has appeared at several conferences and spent time with dispatchers at the communications center, the Department of Public Safety said in social media posts.
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